Jayson Castro inspires as Rey Nambatac steps up to force Game 7

The two best words in sports—Game 7—will happen in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Friday, March 28, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It was made possible when the TNT Tropang Giga forced it after defeating Barangay Ginebra in Game 6, 87-83, on Wednesday night, March 26, in front of 17,654 fans.

In Game 5, the rare minutes given to Gin Kings veteran LA Tenorio inspired Ginebra to take a 3-2 series lead. But last night, it was TNT’s injured leader, Jayson Castro, who motivated his team.

Read: https://scoreline.ph/news/tenorio-inspires-ginebra-tnt-misses-castro-pba-finals

Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes said the three-time Finals MVP had been longing to visit their practice but lacked the mobility to do so after sustaining a season-ending ruptured patellar tendon tear in his right knee in Game 2 of the semifinals against Rain or Shine. However, last Tuesday, Castro made it.

“Mga 15 minutes, pawis na pawis,” said Tropang Giga coach Chot Reyes, describing Castro’s struggles just to see his teammates.

“Talaga namang gusto niyang pumunta, pero talagang nahihirapan siya. Until yesterday, naka-crutches na siya, may walker pa. Ang hirap,” Reyes added. “And then, ‘yung meeting room pa namin, nasa second floor. Fifteen minutes na kami doon, wala pa si Jayson. Ang bagal talaga ng lakad.”

Then, last night, “The Blur” attended Game 6 and sat on the Tropang Giga bench but needed assistance from the TNT utility staff just to get there.

His mere presence was enough to inspire the Tropang Giga, especially Rey Nambatac, who stepped up big time in the absence of the nine-time PBA champion.

“When Kuya Jayson went to our practice yesterday, it was already an added motivation for us,” said Nambatac.

“Even if he wasn’t here in our past few games, we still felt his presence, especially yesterday in practice,” the Letran product added.

Nambatac led TNT’s local unit with 23 points, five rebounds, and three steals, earning him the Best Player of the Game honors. He also shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and made his lone four-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer.

In the six Finals games so far, “Sting-Rey” has consistently scored in double digits, averaging 20.6 points, along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, making him a top contender for Finals MVP if TNT wins the series.

Nambatac’s consistency has helped three-time Best Import of the Conference awardee Rondae Hollis-Jefferson carry the load for the Tropang Giga.

Hollis-Jefferson led all scorers with 29 markers and 13 boards last night. He also contributed six assists and three steals to help TNT force a series-decider on Friday.

Another key factor in the Tropang Giga’s victory was big man JP Erram’s 14-point contribution, with 10 of those coming in the fourth quarter, including crucial free throws down the stretch.

All eyes were on Erram after his verbal spat with Coach Chot in their previous game—a heated exchange that seemed to stall TNT’s momentum. But in their must-win game, Erram played the hero’s role, despite picking up three early fouls. He managed to stay composed until the final buzzer.

On the other hand, Justin Brownlee had 22 markers and seven boards but committed seven turnovers, while Scottie Thompson scored 12 points but shot just 4-of-11 from the field. The loss also spoiled the comeback of RJ Abarrientos, who had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

TNT 87 – Hollis-Jefferson 29, Nambatac 23, Oftana 14, Erram 14, Khobuntin 4, Pogoy 3, Heruela 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0.

GINEBRA 83 – Brownlee 22, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 12, Holt 11, J. Aguilar 11, Malonzo 6, Rosario 6, Ahanmisi 3.

Quarter Scores: 22-22; 38-42; 63-62; 87-83.